Home workout habits have been a growing trend, and have seen an explosion of growth since the pandemic. Despite the convenience, people who work out at home may not receive critical guidance provided by fitness instructors, such as proper form and technique. This issue is not limited to at-home workouts, as the gymnasiums don’t often have resources to provide individual feedback to every user. GymSoles addresses this by assisting users to maintain a correct form while performing squats and deadlifts.

Insights drawn from consultations with expert trainers indicated that squats and deadlifts are two important exercises to train the whole body. It was also mentioned that the center of pressure is a good indicator of correct form in these exercises. A good rule of thumb is to keep the pressure focused on the heels. The prototype was developed based on these insights; consisting of shoe insoles embedded with pressure sensors and vibrotactile motors. The device senses the center of pressure and provides real-time feedback to the user, prompting them to correct their form. This unobtrusive design means the users will not resist integrating it with their daily workout routine. The initial prototype was validated in a user trial where the user’s form was captured using state-of-the-art motion capture systems. The prototype was refined, miniaturized, and further expanded to include feedback via smart glasses and smart watches providing the prospective users with a variety of options.